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How a Tent Can Embody Your Interfaith, Multicultural or Fusion Wedding

Sarah27th March 2017

The Arabian Tent Company has always been a fusion – firstly with the tents which are a combination of Western practicality and Eastern design and then of course with the interiors which are inspired also from travels to countries such as Mexico, Morocco and India.

How the rise of the internet has shaped the interfaith, multicultural and fusion wedding

WHEN THE TERM “Global Village” was first used in the early seventies, we had no idea how accessible the world would really be. Not just from travel, but the internet has come to revolutionise our perception of the world as we can visit where we wish and shop all over the world from the comfort of our sofas. The rise of the internet and social media ‘globalisation’ has meant people are meeting each other across continents, cultures and faiths as well much more easily and with that developing connections and partnerships.

The Arabian Tent Company has always been a fusion – firstly with the tents which are a combination of Western practicality and Eastern design and then of course with the interiors which are inspired also from travels to countries such as Mexico, Morocco and India. We love the word ‘fusion’ (the process of joining two or more things together to form a single entity) and this word has an energy about it and when one thinks of fusion cooking, it inspires thoughts of new combinations, new flavours – new excitements.

Credit: Joe Dodsworth Photography

It’s what makes the Cornish Cream and Bombay Boudoir combination of interiors such a marriage made in heaven!

First Dance in the Bombay Boudoir. Credit: Rory Lindsay Photography

The Fusion Wedding is ever-increasing and wedding marquee tents have come a long way from their first inception. Here at ATC, we are a world away, offering Moroccan themed tents - the Arabian, Raj,Bombay, Mexican-inspired tents - the Viva La Fiesta - and not to mention Arts and Crafts inspired British inspired interiors - the William Morris and Cornish Cream, and when combined, make a perfect design for your fusion wedding!

With the growth of multicultural, interfaith and fusion weddings – people from different faiths and cultures coming together in union - what more could a couple want but a day that fuses their cultures, their stories – a combination creating completeness.

The day is more than a ceremony, it’s a celebration of love and of coming together cemented by the physicality of the friends that come to witness it, and the environment that it’s in. What better way to reflect this than by literally fusing colours, cultures, traditions into the fabric of the venue?

This is multiculturalism personified – something to be embraced and enjoyed by all. It’s also a time when couples can display interesting combinations, putting their own stamp on their wedding, incorporating each of their own traditions.

Pulling pints for your wedding! Credit: Joe Dodsworth Photography

For example, one could have a church ceremony on one day and the traditional Indian wedding on another day, we have had one bride who had the church ceremony in the morning, followed by a Hindu wedding ceremony in the afternoon and then a reception thereafter, this can be a long day and the timing can be really tight – we were left with very little time for the portraits for instance, so consider splitting the days and giving each celebration its own day.

A secret garden party fusion wedding with Caribbean infusions

Credit: Mihoci Photography

We were lucky enough to be able to provide our marquees for this lovely couple, Shanti and Andrew Davies. Shanti spent a lot of her childhood in Barbados, and so for her wedding we had little infusions of Caribbean at her Church wedding, such as a steel pan band, which added a nice twist.

Shanti had obviously put a lot of thought and planning into her wedding and all the little details really helped make her day look extra special.

Our contribution to this celebration was in providing the Cornish Cream tent to dine in, connected to the Bombay Boudoir marquee for the bar and dance area with finishing touches such as cocktail tables with twinkling Indian parasols outside, and a fire bowl for bringing friends together at night.

First dance in the Bombay Boudoir. Credit: Mihoci Studios

Chiddingly cricket pitch in East Sussex was the perfect setting for the reception for this fusion wedding and we hope you enjoy sharing it with them.

A beautiful midsummers day. Credit: Mihoci Studios

Tell us how you met and got engaged.

Sri Lanka on Christmas Day. I could tell Andrew was really nervous but I thought it was because it hadn’t stop raining and it was supposed to be bright sunshine, as we had an unexpected monsoon in December. After we handed out all our presents he got down on one knee and took me by such surprise. Afterwards, we drank lots of champagne (probably too much) and practised our first dance. It was a beautiful day, even with the downpour.

How was your day unique?

It was unique in so many ways, we had a flying drone for aerial shots of our guests and also a steel pan band to bring the Caribbean alive. We decided on a steel pan band as I had spent lots of my childhood in Barbados, as everyone made their way from the church to the marquee they could hear the soft drums on the steel pan and it really felt like we were in the Caribbean, It was idyllic with the sun shining!

The marquee was also very unique with different linings, we loved the combination of ‘Bombay Boudoir’ and ‘Cornish Cream’, it was inspired and all our guests commented on how unique it was.

A Caribbean steel band sets the scene! Credit: Mihoci Studios

Credit: Mihoci Studios

We wanted our cake to be unique and had been to several other weddings and found that nobody ever really ate the wedding cake so we wanted a grazing station of things that people would demolish in the evening! I had heard of a trend from New York for ‘Pork Pie’ wedding cakes and so we ordered one from ‘The Ginger Pig’ butchers in Clapham, it was three flavours, traditional pork pie flavour and then the top was venison and other wild game the middle was pork, chicken, ham and tarragon. We noticed everyone had tucked into it past midnight!

Credit: Mihoci Studios

We also had a 5 tiered cheeseboard with various locally sourced cheese from a wonderful supplier ‘Greys Cheese Direct’ in Berkshire and Andrews mum created the BEST onion chutney to go with it with figs and grapes. Some of my friends had also created a few small cakes and salted caramels which people ate in abundance at the end of the evening.

Originally I wanted a teepee or yurt but when we came across the Arabian Tent Company in Firle and I knew we had found the one.

Katherine, who owns the company, was so accommodating and gave us great advice on where to put the dance floor, we also felt the bar had to be very close so we designed the marquee in an L-shape and everything felt really cosy, but most importantly it had a party atmosphere!

So, if you want your wedding to be stunning, unique, memorable and the perfect show of multifaith love, call us and we will help you plan your perfect day. There are no limits to a Fusion Wedding – only the bride and grooms’ imagination!

Contact Us to see how we can help with your interfaith, multicultural or fusion wedding.

Thank you to all those that helped with Shanti and Andrews wedding:

Photographer and Videographer: Mihoci Studios - David and his wife Ena Mihoci from Croatia

Our framed tent collection

About the author

Sarah

Marketing Assistant

A typical day for Sarah is writing enticing blogs and sending out press, helping to design brochures, and updating and helping with the design of the website; all with the aim of spreading the word of Arabian Tents online and in the press.

With so many tents to choose from, Sarah would choose the William Morris to wine and dine in, complete with twinkling fairy lights and lots of plants, and the Bombay Boudoir to dance the night away!

Get in Touch

If you have any questions or enquiries, please get in touch.

You can either contact us directly using the details provided below or you can use the enquiry form opposite.

Please let us know the number of guests you’re expecting, the tent you’re interested in and the date of your event along with any other useful information, to allow us to best help you plan your event.

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